Kerala Floods: 1000s await to be rescued

Published on Aug 18, 2018
Thousands of stranded people are waiting to be rescued in the southern Indian state of Kerala, as heavy rain continues to batter the region.

More than 190 people have died in just over a week.

Much of the state is partially submerged in what is being described as the worst flooding in a century.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi surveyed some of the worst affected areas from a helicopter.

Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan reports.

More than 300,000 displaced since August 8 after record rains in southern Indian state cause flooding and landslides.

Thousands of stranded people are waiting for rescue as relentless monsoon floods continue to batter the south Indian state of Kerala, where more than 200 people have died in a little over a week.

More than 300,000 people have also been displaced since August 8, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) officials said on Friday evening, adding that 2,600 villages have been flooded.

Thousands of homes have been destroyed and more than 10,000km of roads damaged across the state.

The state is “facing the worst floods in 100 years”, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Twitter, adding that at least 324 lives have been lost so far since the monsoon season started in June.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the state’s top officials, promising tens of millions of dollars in aid.

The central government has dispatched military units to Kerala, but state officials are pleading for additional help.

“The situation in Chenagnnur is getting worse with every passing moment. Thousands are stranded for the fourth day without food, water and medicine. Unless urgent steps are taken to reach them, there could be huge casualties,” Saji Cheriyan, member of legislative assembly representing Chenagnnur, told reporters.

“Please give us a helicopter. I am begging you. Please help me, people in my place will die. Please help us. There is no other solution, people have to be airlifted. We did what we can with fishing boats we procured using our political clout. But we can’t do more. The armed forces need to come here, please help us,” Cheiryan added in his distress message on tv.

Authorities warned of more torrential rain and strong winds over the weekend, as hundreds of troops and local fishermen staged desperate rescue attempts in helicopters and boats across Kerala.

Across the state of 33 million, people have made panicked appeals on social media, saying they cannot make contact with rescue services as power and communication lines are down.

“I’ve been in Kochi since the flooding of Periyar river. Large parts of the city are under water. I’ve tried to get back to my native Malabar but the bridges are submerged and the airport is closed. The situation has been this for the past four days. Buses and trains are cancelled,” Labeeb Ibrahim told Al Jazeera.

“The other concern is the food supply. Supermarkets and shops are shut. Wherever they are open, they are running out of stock. People are panic buying.”

More than 30 military helicopters and 320 boats are attempting rescues across Kerala after some areas were engulfed by overflowing rivers, with residents seen swimming and wading through chest-high waters past partially submerged homes.

About ICR

Intercultural Resources is a Centre for Research, Documentation & Intervention on issues related to the impacts and alternatives to destructive development. Social Movements and People’s Struggles are the two main areas of research and documentation ICR is engaged in. It is based in Delhi, India. Email: icrindia2016@gmail.com